Policies & Handbooks

If you need help with you policies and/or staff handbooks, Blacks Solicitors’ experienced Employment Law team can help you.

In addition to statutory provisions which require you to provide all employees with a Written Statement of the main particulars of employment, having a Staff Handbook is a sensible decision to make.

It is not practical to have every rule or provision affecting an employee recorded in their Contract of Employment, because of the potential length and complexity of such a document and because it would limit the employer’s operations significantly. In order to make even simple changes, employers would have to review them for their entire workforce. That would prove very expensive and time-consuming.

By contrast it’s a very bad idea to have no policies or handbooks in place at all. As well as potentially risking a breach of employment law, this leaves you relying on common law and statutory provisions to manage employees.

A Staff Handbook and related policies provide a comprehensive framework for employers to communicate important information to their employees about day-to-day operations and expectations. Ideally, such a document should be non-contractual so that it may be reviewed annually and easily kept up to date.

By law, employees must have access to policies and procedures governing:

Health & Safety

Grievances

Discipline

In addition to the policies required by law, a Staff Handbook (in either paper or electronic format) is an ideal way of providing your employees with other relevant policies. For example, policies offering guidance on how to:

Behave in both professional and private environments, virtual or otherwise (IT /Social Media Policy)

We understand how difficult it can be to keep on top of your employment documentation with employment law constantly evolving.

Contracts that served your needs adequately several years ago may now be out of date and potentially unlawful. Having up to date and legally compliant employment documentation is therefore vital to protect your business in the event of a dispute. It’s also important to ensure that both parties know their rights and obligations. Employment Tribunals are highly critical of employers who do not get the basics right or who have flimsy contractual documentation.

To assist employers to keep on top of this problem, our Employment Law team offers a Fixed-Fee Employment Audit for a one off payment of £177 plus VAT.

A report setting out what updates are required to bring your documentation up to date

A Fixed-Fee Quotation for any necessary work required

If you are interested in a Fixed-Fee Audit, or if you would like to find out more about our services, please email or call Blacks’ Employment Law team today on 0113 207 0000 for a free no obligation discussion.

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